Trailing Christopher Newport University by eight points at the break, York College began the second half with a 10-2 run. Game on.

That stood to reason — the two regular-season games between these teams had been decided by a total of three points. Certainly the Capital Athletic Conference tournament final wouldn’t be any different.

Instead, in a shocking development, the game became a blowout. With a career-high 31 points from Marcus Carter, a face on the program’s Mount Rushmore, the top-seeded Captains coasted to a 78-56 win Saturday at the Freeman Center.

With its third conference championship in four years, CNU (25-3) clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Captains almost certainly would have received an at-large bid, but they removed any doubt.

“This is what CNU is made of right here,” Carter said. “You come to this school for any sport, you come to win championships. You come to compete every single day. And there’s nothing better than being with a group of people who have the same goals as you do.

See CNU's men's and women's basketball season in photos.

“Coach K (John Krikorian) preaches it every year: It’s about the brother right next to you. And when you get a chance to win a championship like this, there’s no better feeling. It starts in August, and in February you get to cut down the nets.”

A year ago almost to the day, York defeated CNU 82-73 in the conference final on the same floor. Four weeks ago, the Spartans overcame a nine-point deficit in the final 2 ½ minutes at home to defeat the Captains 82-81.

That made CNU’s win Saturday even sweeter.

“They were excited after we beat Salisbury (in Thursday’s semifinals) to hear York had won,” Krikorian said. “That’s who they wanted to play.”

The Spartans’ Jason Bady had been named the Capital Athletic’s Player of the Year four days earlier, and not without good reason. But on Championship Saturday, Carter was the best player on the floor.

Not only was he unguardable on the offensive end — 10-of-14 from the field, 4-of-7 from the 3-point arc — he shut down Bady on defense. Less than five minutes into the game, Carter drew a charge that resulted in his second foul. That sent him to the bench for nearly eight minutes.

Then, with 1:52 remaining in the first half, Bady picked up his third foul trying to defend a Carter 3-point attempt.

Bady finished with 13 points, six below his season average, in 28 minutes.

Asked if he took pride in winning the individual matchup against Bady, Carter smiled.

“Bady’s one hell of a player,” Carter said. “I mean, that man has great talent. But I felt like I should have had it.”

Of course, by “it,” Carter meant Player of the Year.

Near the end of the game, the CNU student section began chanting “MVP” for Carter. Krikorian could only marvel at what his team leader did.

“He was awesome,” Krikorian said. “He wasn’t able to play up at our loss in York, and he wasn’t able to play in the conference championship last year here. I know that was inside of him.”

CNU led 34-26 at halftime, but York erased that in less than four minutes. With a 10-2 run, the Spartans tied it on Bady’s free throw with 17:23 remaining.

But on the ensuing possession, Carter knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Dalon McHugh blocked a shot on the other end, and Savonte Chappell knocked down a wide-open 3. In a matter of 57 seconds, a tie game became a 40-34 CNU lead.

That ignited what became a 19-3 run. When it ended, the Captains were ahead 53-37 with 10:35 remaining.

“We came out in the second half and gave them seven points — I mean, literally gave it to them,” Krikorian said. “We lost our mind on transition defense one time and had a live-ball turnover one time.

“We knew we weren’t going to do that the rest of the half. We knew that was on us. We got together during the 16-minute timeout and said, ‘Hey, let’s get back to doing what was working.’ ”